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SITUATIONAL AWARENESS 101

As we have all become aware recently, our safety and security concerns have been receiving much-needed attention. With this in mind, we can all contribute to our personal safety by paying attention to our surroundings--landscape, people, objects, vehicles, etc.

In this first scenario, I will point out how to fine-tune your situational awareness. You are going shopping at a single-storey mall with several big-name stores and numerous smaller shops inside of the one main building.

You enter the car park and then circle the outside perimeter of the mall; you will be looking at how many shops have outside entrances or read exits.

You will also be looking for suspicious persons, groups or vehicles. We pretty much know what a suspicious person and vehicle looks like on TB2K, so further detail is not necessary unless requested.

Once you park and secure your vehicle, you enter the mall. The first shop you see is Hot Topic (for instance) and you already know they have an exterior door that leads to the car park. You visually scan the persons who are in your area; do they have heavy coats on and it's 95 degrees? A long coat will conceal a rifle or a bomb vest.

You pass by the Hot Topic and see a small novelty shop that you do not recall having an exterior door. You want to shop in that store so you search for the alternate exit. If there is no secondary exit, you determine what solid object you can take cover behind.

You DO keep your children with you. Sorry, but that's the way it goes these days.

Make certain you know where your closest exit is. Most people will retreat to the area where they entered the mall. If that is the closest exit, you choose that unless it has become blocked/ If that occurs, go to the next shop where know there is a secondary exit, unless it takes you into the line of fire.

For shopping areas, there are several key points to consider:

1. Suspicious persons or packages left unattended.
2. Identify your closest exit.
3. Identify a sturdy object under or behind which you can take cover.
4. Keep your head up, you become less of a target by maintaining a posture of awareness.
5. If you spot someone or something that arouses your suspicions, notify the nearest clerk you see.
6. Maintain a visual "sweeping" of the premises and remain alert for what seems out-of-the-ordinary for you.
7. Do not just observe your surroundings, but assess and comprehend them.

Sorry, this is a brief start on one scenario, and others will add to this and create new scenarios. I will update this first scenario tomorrow.

Maureen

Last edited by MaureenO; 07-18-2007 at 04:27 AM.

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

having worked at a mall, i need to say that every single store has some sort of exit, even if they share one with a couple stores connected by a hallway running behind them all. The SPCA Adoption Center I worked at shared one with several small stores. This info might save your life.

Just a comment as I need to get breakfast for the bride..I'll be back...

The tunnel that the back door of a lot of smaller shops leads to may well be NOT where you want to be in case it's anything MORE than a simple active shooter scenario.

In MANY malls that tunnel is LONG, and the exit is a WAYS away with several turns before you get there....If it's a SIMPLE active shooter scenario by all means go back into the tunnel and wend your way to daylight, but be PREPARED for the actual EXIT to be a hike from where you enter the tunnel....*I* will not be using tunnels in 3 or 4 of my local malls as they are WAY too much a Fatal Funnel Scenario for my liking.

Mookie War Creed"I am the Sword of my Family and Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn all that you love, and kill every one of you."
Welcome to dar al harab -dar al kufre.

Gentle reminder: It is entirely possible to think that generalizations are true and to judge each real live person you meet as an individual

If you can do so, now would be the time to start carrying your weapon 24-7. If you have a spouse, the two of you should be checking each other to see if your "slip is showing" as it were. RELIC and I do challenge each other to determine whether or not either one of us is carrying...

With my current weight structure the Glock 22 doesn't print anywhere, and the Charter which has been my EDC (when I carry) for eons hides even better. I'm not advocating violating any laws here so you need to be aware of what your state allows. You also need to have been to a range recently so you are comfy with what makes your EDC go BANG, and so you are comfy with what happens when it DOES go BANG. Enough said on that because it COULD become a whole thread....

So, once you get dressed, you put on your Color of the Day. If you are SERIOUS about your Situational Awareness you put at LEAST YELLOW on which means that you are pretty much ready to handle most untoward things, and won't be standinig there slack jawed thingking "this can't be happening" as the gobblin points a rather long finger at you....or your loved ones. or the guy next to you.'

Living in YELLOW means looking around and being ready to react if needed but NOT stressed tightly.

Living in ORANGE means that you are expectant of some kind of attack and are actively looking for it every minute of the day. You want to live in YELLOW, really. ORANGE is WAY too tiring to live in 24/7/365. Ask me. When they put a Contract out on your Wife you live in ORANGE for a LONG time...until it gets bought off...or otherwise fixed.. but I digress.

You want to live in YELLOW since that is an expectant, but not wired tight mind set. You are aware of your surroundings, and aware that they can change and that you WILL have to react/respond to that change.

SO.

You have put on the Color of the Day, and now it's time to go outside.

At this point you start looking around....Is everything around your home the same as it always is?? Kids toys and "stuff" in the yards around your home and the neighbors' homes? Are there any different kids or "kids" hanging around? is the traffic on your street normal? or Heavier than usual or lighter than usual?
Did you listen to the radio to hear about traffic delays on the way to work or wherever you are going?? NO?? Shame on you...start THAT habit TODAY...

Walk to the bus?? Is the 'hood normal?? On the bus, is the ride in to work normal, anything out of place, or odd on the way in?? You need to start looking TODAY to KNOW what is Normal so that in the coming days you can identify an abnormality.

Get to work, is the work location normal? the usual street vendors selling the usual morning stuff?? the shoe shine guy in the lobby the usual guy? the lobby coffee shop normal? etc etc.

When you go to lunch look around the work building as you go. Is everything the way it usually is? Any unusual vans or trucks parked in odd places? Are the street vendors the usual lunch vendors with the usual fare???

When you get back to your desk, do you have your bottle of water, protein bar, walking shoes and a change of sox in your drawer? Do you know what the FASTEST way out is, the safest? Can you walk home with what you have in your desk?

On the way home, on the bus or driving, is everything normal on the way?? Unusual trucks parked anywhere?

When you get home and you go out to eat, watch for oddities and KNOW WHAT IS ODD.

Once you are seated in the restaurant, can you get out fast?? What IS the fastest way out if they come in the front door? the back door? Do you know if you can go out the front window? Locked you say?? You are sitting on the key, you toss your chair through the window and exit. AS long as you aren't crossing the gobblins' line of fire (and on the ground floor)....Who knows, you may lead the whole restaurant out that way.
++++++++++++++++++++++

What happens if any of the "are these things normal?" questions come back "NO!!!" What do you do then??

You call the police in the area. It is YOUR decision as to 9-1-1 or the non-emergency number if you know it (you ought to for the municipalities you spend a lot of time in, BTW) but 9-1-1 is ALWAYS appropriate. tell the operator/dispatcher what you have seen that is odd. TELL him or her WHY it's odd and THAT it's odd. Then they get to deal with it.

++++++++++++++++

Start walking around the block at home.

Make mental notes of the deserted houses, where cars ought NOT be parked, and if there are cars parked there but it STILL looks deserted let the local constabulary know that there is something out of the ordinary there. If you have an industrial area in your 'hood, get to recognize what is normal for activity there. If it starts to look odd, call the constables and let them know. Do NOT hesitate to call....I once saw 2 suburbans sitting up watching the train tracks in my neighborhood... I completed my walk around the block and they were still there an hour later (6 mile block),,,damn straight I called my local LEO's because there wasn't ANYTHING on the Suburbans that said N&W on it and they checked em out.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++===

GET TO KNOW WHAT IS "NORMAL" NOW AND WATCH FOR CHANGES.

EVERYWHERE YOU GO KNOW HOW TO GET OUT QUICKLY AND SAFELY.

HAVE A PHONE WITH YOU OR KNOW WHERE THE NEAREST ONE IS SO YOU CAN CALL IF SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT.

AND CARRY YOUR DAMN GUN (legally).

chuck

Last edited by night driver; 07-18-2007 at 08:34 AM.
Reason: because the spellcheck module did NOT ocme with these fingres...

Mookie War Creed"I am the Sword of my Family and Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn all that you love, and kill every one of you."
Welcome to dar al harab -dar al kufre.

Gentle reminder: It is entirely possible to think that generalizations are true and to judge each real live person you meet as an individual

Great post, Maureen. I would only add that you judiciously choose the clerk that you share your concerns with. You do not want someone who will roll their eyes and forget about what you told them AND you also don't want one who starts hysterically screaming at the top of their lungs.
Perhaps a call to your local police department - might be better.

Mookie War Creed"I am the Sword of my Family and Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn all that you love, and kill every one of you."
Welcome to dar al harab -dar al kufre.

Gentle reminder: It is entirely possible to think that generalizations are true and to judge each real live person you meet as an individual

Most modern buildings have wood or metal stud framing with sheetrock walls. These are hollow, and can be broken through in a hurry, if you're trapped by a fire or shooter. You could go all the way across a building to the far side to find an escape just by busting through the thin sheetrock and stepping into the next room. Then it's a matter of finding a window, door or stairwell to the outside. While traveling from room to room, look for something stout to use as a weapon or a tool to break windows and walls.

Shop Lock Down

All shops in malls have very effective gates / shutters to lock the store down. If trying to exit the mall was not a good option, then getting the person in charge of the shop to do a lock down would at least keep the shooter out of the store. In larger stores it should then be possible to locate yourselves out of sight from the entrance. In a terrorist attack it is not likely the shooters will be doing hostage taking. More likely they will be moving through the mall fast, maybe herding shoppers to an exit / area for a mass kill. But moving fast, and with plenty of targets they would most likely not spend time trying to get into a locked down shop.

GET TO KNOW WHAT'S NORMAL.............that goes a long way. In a small town, get out there & greet those NEW NEIGHBORS or RENTERS. You can tell if they don't want you there usually right away. This goes for those renters and such that may be running drugs too. First Impressions can be learned from.

The TRUTH Is Out There Keep Searching! Start by going WITHIN.

The only difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock on their door. That's the only difference.

I don't know how they do it in So. Tx. but trying to bust down walls in a shopping center without the proper tools could get you killed.
In Florida our centers have walls that are made with two 5/8" sheets of
sheetrock on both sides. [Thats 1 1/4" per side]. They also are fire taped
with cross studing. [cats]
I won't waste time on this unless I was trapped for a extended period of
time.
Also most of us sheepdogs have concealed permits for pertection.

So many people today never look more than that 2 feet in front of them.

This is so true timbo! But in today's PeeCee environment - that is what people think they must do to avoid "offending" anyone.
I can't think of how many times I've walked through a store or a mall with my head up and looking at people as they approach me only to be rudely asked "what the hell are you looking at?" It's usually the gangbanger wanna- be's or punks who make the most trouble for alert people....but sometimes it's just rude people who don't believe you have a right to be aware of them. Don't let them condition you with their rude intimidation into averting eye contact or holding your head down... It's a free country! You can look anywhere you want. Alot of people simply plug into cellphones or music players to avoid confrontation with anyone. This is how our society has become. Too frightend that their awareness may offend some race, or culture - they simply tune them all out.

In certain cultures - it's rude to stare or look into a strangers eyes. Other cultures don't allow women to look into mens eyes or at their faces as they talk or pass them... These cultures are not of America. They are middle eastern and asian. Too bad! This is America and we can stare you down to the ground if we want....

Just a reminder to not allow misguided PeeCee to limit your awareness while in public....

If all this is news to you, this stuff about being aware of what's going on around you and the 'color codes,' you need to get a copy of this little book and immerse yourself in it until it is second nature:

Jeff Cooper is perhaps the nation’s foremost authority on defensive weaponcraft. He is renowned not only for his practical instruction on firearms marksmanship, mechanics and safety but also for his groundbreaking ideas on proper defensive mental conditioning. This new edition of Cooper’s classic Principles of Personal Defense – with a fitting tribute by firearms expert Louis Awerbuck and all-new drawings by renowned illustrator Paul Kirchner – presents his timeless theory of individual defensive behavior clearly, concisely and practically. All free people who aspire to stay that way should read, study and share the wisdom found within these pages. Considered by many to be one of the greatest books on combat mindset and proper defensive mental conditioning ever written, it deserves a place of honor in every library. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, illus., 80 pp.

Jeff Cooper is one of the true pioneers of weaponcraft in the United States. His numerous accomplishments include founder of Gunsite Ranch, editor at large of Guns & Ammo magazine, winner of the Outstanding American Handgunner award in 1995, Rangemaster Emeritus of the U.S. Practical Shooting Association and long-time member of the board of directors of the National Rifle Association.

Price: $14.00 PPD.2
==============

Whether you carry a gun or not, this book is an essential introduction to the mindset necessary to live in the society we face today. It is a primer for what may be a new reality to people who thought they had been, were and always would be safe. That is not something that can be taken for granted, if indeed it ever could.

Please note that present tense references to the good colonel in the above copy are out of date- Jeff Cooper died at the age of 86 at his home near Paulden, AZ on September 25 last year. May he rest in well-deserved peace.

dd

The wonder of our time isn’t how angry we are at politics and politicians; it’s how little we’ve done about it. - Fran Porretto
-http://bastionofliberty.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-wholly-rational-hatred.html

You will also be looking for suspicious persons, groups or vehicles. We pretty much know what a suspicious person and vehicle looks like on TB2K, so further detail is not necessary unless requested.

Don't be so sure. Recent reports indicate that this may be the suprise of the century because while we are all looking uneasy around middle-easterners it's the home growns that will wreak hell on earth.

The mall scenario is great and very plausible however, with school starting back in a few weeks PLEASE talk to your kids. Go over these things. Go walk the neighborhood that the school is in. Set up a meeting place. I don't think that these sickos have dropped the plans to attack schools so lets not become complacent with our most beloved children.

Subways: platform: always stand near exit to street, rather than deep in the tunnel; train car: always stand near exit at *end* of train, where door can be opened, preferably near conductor's booth

Street: put the ipod and phone away, pay attention to surroundings, listening and looking around at all times. Don't forget to look UP, too.

Driving: take basic tools, water, food and emergency supplies at all times. In bad weather this could include a shovel or axe. Lock car immediately on exit, on return look inside car and around/under before unlocking and entering vehicle.

Emergency situations (like 9/11 for example): LEAVE the vicinity immediately. Go to a safe/neutral area, call your emergency contact to establish your location and plans, then assess options for continuing to your "safe" spot. (I still am shaking my head as to how many (most) hung around either on orders from employers or from curiousity, not to mention how many came downtown to rubberneck.)

As dd can tell you and a couple others here who have done the training the VAST MAJORITY of people do NOT SEE ANYTING ABOVE EYE LEVEL.....

NOBODY LOOKS UP!!!!!

Think about it when you are out walking.....

CONSCIOUSLY LOOK UP.

EVEN AT WORK.....se what color the corners of the ceiling are...I'll bet you haven't seen them in YEARS....

Mookie War Creed"I am the Sword of my Family and Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn all that you love, and kill every one of you."
Welcome to dar al harab -dar al kufre.

Gentle reminder: It is entirely possible to think that generalizations are true and to judge each real live person you meet as an individual

always tell the littlest kids, IF THEY GET LOST, to not aproach ANYBODY, except a cashier. Not even a stranger that SAYS HE IS A POLICEMAN!!

If someone can put their hands in the cashbox, then they and only they can be trusted. So wait UNTIL you see the money transactions.

Dont go off with anyone else anywhere else. ONLY the cashier.

And I have been saying that since Adam Walsh was kidnapped in a Sears toy department in Florida over twenty years ago. IF I remember correctly, he was led away by a "policeman" or chased away by a security officer.

Ted Bundy also used the police badge to find, mutlilate and then kill young girls.

Trump won 2626 counties
Hillary won 487 counties
In 2018, all 435 U.S. House Members and 34 U.S. Senators are up for reelection.

I'm guessing that at least 50% of the people out and about are on the damn phone!

Fine, finish that all important call, but you dont have to walk around with your eyes 2 feet in front of you.

Can you do two things at the same time? Well if you have a problem doing it, maybe spit out your gum so you can keep your eyes up and looking.

So many people today never look more than that 2 feet in front of them.

Are you guilty of that?

Statistically, I know there are some here that do this.

You will be the one that is most surprised when a herd of people run over your butt as they try to get away.

You're correct, Tim, people need to develop "swivel heads," which means to the readers--scan in front of you, to each side, up and down. You already where in the mall you want to go, you've been there before, but the same people and items have not been.

People need to make it a habit to observe everything around them. On their street--was that U-Haul there this morning when you got your newspaper off your porch? Is anyone moving in or out in that immediate area?

When you drop your kids off at school, do you see anyone on foot or in a vehicle that appears to be casing the area? Same for your grocery stores.

Look up, down, and all around--that's one of the keys to situational awareness. You already know that, Tim, I'm talking to those who don't know yet.

Mo

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Subways: platform: always stand near exit to street, rather than deep in the tunnel; train car: always stand near exit at *end* of train, where door can be opened, preferably near conductor's booth

Street: put the ipod and phone away, pay attention to surroundings, listening and looking around at all times. Don't forget to look UP, too.

Driving: take basic tools, water, food and emergency supplies at all times. In bad weather this could include a shovel or axe. Lock car immediately on exit, on return look inside car and around/under before unlocking and entering vehicle.

Emergency situations (like 9/11 for example): LEAVE the vicinity immediately. Go to a safe/neutral area, call your emergency contact to establish your location and plans, then assess options for continuing to your "safe" spot. (I still am shaking my head as to how many (most) hung around either on orders from employers or from curiousity, not to mention how many came downtown to rubberneck.)

nanna

All of your pointers are great, nanna, but in the event of a known IED or VBIED event, cell phones will most likely be immediately blocked to prevent further detonations.

Use the closest coin phone in your safe area. Hard lines are the last to go down.

Maureen

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

For the mall scenario, a lot of us have been presuming the assault will be a shooter.

It could just as easily be a homicide bomber. There's where your situational awareness will assist you in identifying a potential bomber.

They don't normally stroll around the car park and into the mall with the bomb vest in full view. They don't make a practise of it in Europe, anyway, and there's no reason to assume it would be any different here.

If the individual is wearing heavy clothing, is bulky about the mid-section, the clothing type does not fit the season, then look at his head, hand and feet size.

His head, hand and feet size should be fairly proportional to his body size. If the subject is dressed in a manner that makes him appear obese, look at his jawline and chin area. He will have jowls or a heavy, bulky neck area if he is genuinely obese. His hands will normally be pudgy and his feet will normally point outward.

If his features do not match up proportionally, I would get out of there fast and get the attention of the first security guard I saw--if you have to drag him by his shirt out of eye sight of the suspicious subject.

Don't worry about being thought an idiot for doing this. Lives are worth more than you feeling foolish.

I'll elaborate on this more later and anyone who wants to can jump right in.

Maureen

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

While I agree to walk in more awareness, what happens when in the other thread, some idiot green peace person doesn't like what you are doing and makes complaints about you to give you a hard time?
Flagman II

This thread is very timelyand one that I can get into. I generally avoid malls as much as possible and if I do go I know what I am after and can get it and be out in a short time.

Yesterday I was working outside dealing with the nutgrass that likes to pop up in my front flower garden. Due to my recent back problem I have to be careful how I position myself when I work there. I sit on a ridgid plastic bin that allows me to reach out and pluck the evile nutgrass.

While working there a white SUV drove around the block with a older woman in the passenger seat and what looked like a young woman at the wheel. The SUV came around again within five minutes and I saw the rear as it turned the nearby corner. I continued working and in a few minutes it went around again. I went inside and got my digital camera and when it came around again I took a photo of the rear plate.

I waited a minute or two and the white SUV comes around again. The past two times the car passed the older woman had smiled and even waved. this time as the SUV drove near I walked off the sidewalk and smiled and waved for them to stop. The driver lowered the window and I then saw that the driver was a young boy with long hair. I said that they did not look like they were lost and they did not look like burglars that were casing the neighborhood, but that they certainly fit part of the M.O.

The lady laughed and said that she told her grandson that I looked like I might be wondering about their going around the block so many times. I told her that I was close to informing the police of their movements. If they had not stopped and talked I would have been on the phone right away. Her grandson had just received his learner's permit and grandma was helping him get in some practice time.

The lady lives not to far from us but we would likely only see her if she were entering or leaving her garage. Our area is mostly retired people and all the homes are painted the sameand the area is very quiet generally.

From now on I will keep a small tray near me when I work outside and mycamera will be there. I have another story to relate but its 12 PM and time for "old retired guy" to get some shut eye.

This thread is very timelyand one that I can get into. I generally avoid malls as much as possible and if I do go I know what I am after and can get it and be out in a short time.

Yesterday I was working outside dealing with the nutgrass that likes to pop up in my front flower garden. Due to my recent back problemi have to be careful how I poition myself when I work there. I sit on a ridgid plastic bin that allows me to reach out and pluck the evile nutgrass.

While working there a white SUV drove around the block with a older woman in the passenger seat and what looked like a young woman at the wheel. The SUV came around again within five minutes and I saw the rea as it turned the nearby corner. I continued working and in a few minutes it went around again. I went inside and got my digital camera and when it came around again I took a photo of the rear plate.

I waited a minute or two and the white SUV comes around again. The past two times the car passed the older woman had smiled and even waved. this timeas the SUV drove near I walked off the sidewalk and smiled and waved for them to stop. The driver lowered the window and I then saw that the driver was a young boy with long hair. I said that they did not look like they were lost and they did not look like burglars that were casing the neighborhood, but that they certainly fit part of the M.O.

The lady laughed and said that she told her grandson that I looked like I might be wondering about their going around the block so many times. I told her that I was close to informing the police of their movements. If they had not stopped and talked I would have been on the phone right away. Her grandson had just received his learner's permit and grandma was helping him get in some practice time.

The lady lives not to far from us but we would likely only see her if she were entering or leaving her garage. Our area is mostly retired people and all the homes are painted the sameand the area is very quiet generally.

From now on I will keep a small tray near me when I work outside and mycamera will be there. I have another story to relate but its 12 PM and time for "old retired guy" to get some shut eye.

Phil, it's vital that the American public realise that it is often YOU that are first line of defence in a terror situation.

What you observe and report has prevented rapes, homicides, burglaries, robberies, kidnappings.....this is an endless list.

Thank you for realising how important your function is in the war on terror and how important it is that you contribute to your own safety.

Maureen

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

All of your pointers are great, nanna, but in the event of a known IED or VBIED event, cell phones will most likely be immediately blocked to prevent further detonations.

Use the closest coin phone in your safe area. Hard lines are the last to go down.

Maureen

Not sure about your area but around here there are very few of those coin pay phones left anywhere. I noticed yesterday that they've taken them out of government buildings like DMV and the Post Office. They use to be everywhere but now these pay phones are GONE.

Anyway, the point is that you should not rely on phone services of any kind. Just a few months ago ALL phone service was immediatley halted to certain areas of our state for unknown reasons. A test? Anyway, that right there told me that we had to have a back-up. I have a pact with my family that should something happen we all need to meet at a certain location, depending on where the disaster has occured. We have three meeting places (Northeast, Central and Southwest) that are safely away from what we would consider targets. All three will provide shelter, safety and food and clothing for a week minimum.

I've often seen things that looked strange, but it didn't hit me until it was too late. If the "hair on the back of you neck" raises, its time to take notes, pictures, or plate numbers just in case something does happen, then you'll have the info at hand. It may be too late to stop something from happening, but then it might help round up the bad guys after the fact.

when i first started seeing my wife, she used to accuse me of looking at other women when we were out, took me an age to educate her that i was watching everybody, that everybody was a threat not just men, or shaven headed lads, or people with tattoo's, i suspect everybody, She's the same way too now

One thing that I have noticed is that cops, some from South of the border, and some from Middle Eastern areas take notice of you “taking notice” of them. Some of them (cops EXcluded) glare at you, in an attempt to get you to look down or away. If this happens, I usually continue to look in their direction, but I avert my eyes a few feet to either side of their face. This usually stops a potential confrontation (What are you looking at?), but keeps you alert and your eyes are open to a potential threat, if it materializes. Many bar fights start with eye contact.

Many carjackers/robbers will first observe someone looking down or not aware. They sometimes approach alone or in pairs and can attempt to distract with a question. They may ask about the location of a business or street, show you a map or something else. After you are engaged in thinking of the answer is when the attack comes. Eye contact can come into play here too. You can read a lot about someone’s intentions by the way they look at you (or don’t).

I carry a blackberry and a Leatherman on my right side belt, and nearly every time I make eye contact someone from one of these three groups, my beltline gets scanned. I’ve never seen anyone scan me when carrying concealed, which is good, because that proper way to be concealed, after all.

The cops try to look nonchalant about looking after they notice no weapon (I assume.)

I also sit in restaurants like the gangsters do. I put by back to the wall, and my face to the open part of the restaurant. I’ve seen very few restaurants that do not have an exit through the kitchen. Many have secondary exits with alarms within the restaurant.

When you are 'scanning' think of a camera that is scanning a shot. You are the camera. Really see what you are looking at.
Someone mentioned that we will be surprised who did the deed afterwards when we think what a bad guy should look like.

That's why you should just look at everything. Rarely will you be able to get eye contact with people anymore. It's like being all alone in the mall or the restaurant or the food market.

Yes a mall could very well be a target,then again it might be the grocery store. Can you imagine the havoc if some wacko spreads a powder on the green grocer area?

When you leave your house, what is different as you leave the driveway? Another car just driving slowly with the occupants rubber necking the homes?
Yep, they are probably looking for an address...............well they could be or maybe they are casing the neighborhood for 'no one home' places?

This doesnt have to be terror related doing what you should do.

There are several definitions of what is a police officer. One definition is 'professional witness'.

We can all develop and become this type of witness if we practice.

Over the years, I can recall some excellent 'witnesses' that I've talked to. Age dont mean nothing,old or young.

It was usually just the curious person that did such a good job of describing a scene.

Also know that in extreme stress (like an explosion!) that you are going to be rattled. All of us are no matter our occupation.

Sometimes it's better to do a 'drop and look and listen' before you do anything.

Yes a mall could very well be a target,then again it might be the grocery store. Can you imagine the havoc if some wacko spreads a powder on the green grocer area?

Any area is a potential target and, sadly, today we have no other choice but to accept that. Denying it will not make the threats go away. Threats have always been there, but today there are additional threats.

I used the mall scenario as a jumping-off point, but you and I know, Tim, that crimes occur everywhere and anywhere.

Living in fear, though, steals our opportunity to live with awareness. This creates more hazards.

Fear is not what we need--awareness and plans to respond is.

Mo

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

While I agree to walk in more awareness, what happens when in the other thread, some idiot green peace person doesn't like what you are doing and makes complaints about you to give you a hard time?

While I agree with the posts on this thread wholeheartedly, I think it's important to note that we really don't want to LOOK like "swivelheads"- you want to be aware without appearing to be aware!

And at least where I live yet (even in the mall in the nearest- small- city) the proper response to making eye contact is a slight, polite smile, possibly a nod of acknowledgement and -maybe- a "nice day, isn't it?"

Or, a simple "excuse me" if you need to pass close to them, or block their view of something they were looking at on a shelf.

The most important thing for me is to LISTEN TO MY INSTINCTS. I'm a woman, not imposing physically (although hubby's comment is "God help any guy who tries to take you on!" LOL). I've walked in perfect comfort through the fairgrounds of several major and minor fairs at all hours for years. This wasn't sightseeing- it was necessary to care for the animals we had there.

Once or twice, I got a very "hinky" feeling about a certain person. I *always* heeded it. Walking into an (supposedly) empty milking parlor at 2 am the morning of show day, I never simply walked through the door- even if I"d been in there 10 minutes before with a different cow. Walk to the door, visually scan all visible corners. Keep the cow between me and any invisible corners, until I could be sure they were empty.

The one time I had a very bad feeling about a guy who was pestering the women and girls who were working with their animals that night, I warned a couple of the teens to stop going to the milking parlor alone, and only go in pairs. On my third trip of the night, I saw the guy crouched in a corner, obviously attempting to hide. I pretended my animal had gotten out of control and pulled me *through* instead of stopping where she was supposed to, and jogged back to the barn (still "out of control" - ha!) and found security. The guy was carrying a very large sheathed knife...

Yep, that is one of the few things I remember from that novel, the 'True Witness'.

In your car, driving, anywhere, anytime, is where you are most likely to get hurt or killed. Terrorist crap is irrevelent compared to driving. The idiot on your tailgate is much more dangerous to you than Usamabama Muhamabed will ever be.

Pay attention when you are driving. Death is at your fender, countless times every day. Pay attention when you are driving and drive like a person of sense.

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